Armed robbers have stolen millions of pounds worth of jewellery from a Bulgari store next to the Ministry of Justice in Paris – for the second time in as many years.
The latest raid saw three men arrive at the boutique in Place Vendome in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon, as dozens of tourists and other passers-by looked on.
‘Two were carrying assault rifles while the other concentrated on filling bags with stolen goods,’ said an investigating source.
‘They hit a security guard around the head, causing him a serious injury.
‘Jewels and luxury watches worth multi-millions were taken in the robbery, which started at around 1.45pm on Saturday and took just a few minutes.
‘The raiders then got back on to their two black motorbikes, and calmly escaped across the square.’
Dramatic video posted on social media shows the raiders wearing motorbike helmets and black balaclavas as they calmly rob the prestigious store.
The Ministry of Justice is in Vendome, as well as the Paris Ritz hotel, but there were no police patrols immediately in the area.
The same Bulgari store was first targeted in daylight by armed robbers in September 2021, when the criminals made off with some £10million worth of goods.
Following the heist, one of the robbers was wounded in the leg by a police officer during a shoot-out by Les Halles shopping centre, around a mile-and-a-half away.
By June 2022, three men had been arrested, charged and found guilty of armed robbery.
Bulgari, the luxury Italian luxury house, is now owned by the French LVMH luxury goods conglomerate, which is run by the richest man in the world, Bernard Arnault.
Multi-billionaire Mr Arnault lives in a mansion less than a mile from the Bulgari store that was hit on Saturday.
The Vendome raids are the latest in a long series of high profile armed robberies in the square.
Last year, robbers openly carrying assault rifles made off with jewellery from a Chanel store.
The four criminals, also wearing helmets with visors down, were also filmed as the they calmly left the Vendome store after filling up their bag with designer goods.
‘That’s a hold-up,’ said an astonished witness, as he filmed the drama on his mobile phone, before posting it on social media.
Jewellery stores in Paris have been hit frequently by robbers over the years, and celebrity homes are also targeted.
In July 2022, thieves made off with goods worth almost £2m from a Chaumet store near the Champs-Elysees, and a Dinh Van store was also hit in the same month.
And in October 2016, more than £7m worth of jewellery was stolen after American reality TV star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint by a group of masked men in her Paris hotel room.
